When Sedalia, Colo., farrier Tad Keegan earned his private pilot’s license, his instructor offered some keen insight on education.
“My instructor told me, ‘Your pilot license is a license to learn,’” he recalls. “So should your career be in shoeing horses. Graduating from school is only the beginning of your education.”
Indeed, farrier school is a great start, but your education doesn’t end with your name on a piece of paper. Farriery is a lifelong journey, and it’s up to you to build upon the foundation that you’ve established with your training in farrier school.
You can accomplish this by attending clinics, conferences, competitions, reading publications such as this, and talking with fellow farriers.
When investing your time at clinics and conferences, you’ll often find that the subject matter will almost exclusively focus on the equine hoof capsule. And why not? You chose this profession because you wanted to help horses. Yet, it’s important to remember that you’re also a small business owner.
In order to survive in the world of equine hoof care, you’ll need to know more than how to trim and shoe horses’ feet. You must also balance budgets, track inventory, schedule clients and receive payment — and many others.
That’s where the 11th edition of Getting Started in Hoof Care comes in handy. This publication is designed by the publishers of American Farriers Journal to help you navigate the business of farriery.
Within these pages, we have assembled a small collection of knowledgable farriers who want you to follow in their footsteps. These generous men and women have been where you are now. They understand the highs and lows that will accompany you on this journey. They hope to help you by sharing their valuable insights and advice in hopes that you will learn from their successes and failures.
You’ll learn how to gain a foothold in this trade, including advice on what the farrier life is all about, what to expect in an apprenticeship and how setting expectations can benefit you.
It’s equally important to understand how to improve your practice. Oregon farrier Trevor Hall offers advice on how to maximize efficiency in your everyday work. As you continue to grow, you’ll need knowledge to improve. Industry leaders share where you can find those opportunities.
Protecting your business and your family is paramount — and it’s never too early to plan for retirement or mitigate liability.
These and many other lessons that you’ll find in this issue will put you in a better position to succeed.
Best wishes in your new career,
Jeff Cota
Lead Content Editor
